Bustle



UNITED STATES g PATENT OFFICE JOHN J. HOPPES, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

BUSTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,317, lated April 20, 1886.

Serial No. 169,135.

(No mmlel.)

T (ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. HOIPES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful [mprovements in Bustles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in bustles; and the object of my nvention is to provide a bustle which shall be capable of being compressed on the person of the wearer when sitting or lying down, and which shall invention.

also be capable of a longitudinal adjustment to shorten or lengthen the device, and thus adapt it to persons of different sizes.

My invention consists, first, in the formation, from a single piece of wire, of alternating bean-ing and supporting loops with coils between the same, whereby the S111) porting-loops are adapted to spring or fold inwardly by an unnsual pressure thereon, and thus be compressed into and occupy a small space; and, second, in an extensible bustle having a non-elastic band passing through the l'olds or coils thereof, therespective ends of the bustle being adapted to be secured at different points on the said band, in order to adjust the device to different sizes.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a device embodying my Fig. 2 is a perspeetive view of a small section of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse seetional view showing the relative po sition of the respective loops.

Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout the several views.

The bustle proper, A, is preferably made from a single piece of wire, provided at each end with several small coils, a, and provided throughout its length with bearing-loops b and supportingloops c, with a coil, al, between each of said loops.

The bearing-loops b are adapted to come against the person of the wearer and hold the bustle,while the supporting-loops support the skirts or other apparel. The supportingloops may be curved slightly longitudinally, as desir-ed, in order to give the proper shape to the supported skirts. A

ln forming the bustle the wire is first given several turns, and then looped outwardly, forming a supporting loop, c.

It is then given another turn or coil and looped downwardly, forming a bearing-loop, b, thus having a coil, (Z, between each of the alternating loops. It will be seen that by this construction any undue pressure on the supportingloops will cause the said loops to bend or fold inwardly, as indieated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, theelasticity of the wire serving to bring the said loops back to their normal position when the pressure is removed.

The band B, by which the bustle is secured in place on the person of the wearer, is drawn longitudinally through the respective coils d. That portion of the band which passes through the bustle is made non-elastic, and the respective ends of the bustle are attached to the said band at the points e e. When the band is drawn tight, the bustle will he held in the proper position en the person of the wearer. By changing the point of attachment to the band-that is, by making the points of attachment closer together or further apart the length ofthe bustle may be adjusted to suit different-sized persons. I preferably attach the points c e by bending the wire of the bus tle at these points, as shown, so that it will impinge the band B and hold it against longitudinal movement thereon, an'd still be capable of being moved along said band when desired. If desired, a buckle or other means of fastening may be employed at these points; or, if preferred, the ends e e may be sewed to the band.

By the use of the loops and coils above described the bustle is rendered compressible, so that the wearer may sit down or le down without discomf0rt.

Having thus described my invention, I elam The combination, with an extensible bustle consistiug of the alternating bearing and supporting loops and the coils between the same, all formed of a single piece of wire, of a non-elastic band passing through said coils and attached to the respective ends of the bustle by means which permit of an adjustment thereon, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of June, A. D. 1885.

JOHN J. HOPPES.

Witnesses:

PAUL A. STALEY, CEASE STEWART: 

